Best MN Competitive Sports Areas (Minneapolis, Eden Prairie: houses, school district, camps)

[ccrugrat]

We are considering a move from CO to MN - looking mostly west and south of Minneapolis. We have 3 kids...14, 12, 3....and moving to an area that offers a good school system and supports their interests is a significant factor. Our 12-year-old son in particular is involved in competitve basketball, soccer and baseball. Here he plays on a U14 soccer team and he was just offered positions on 3 different Gold Crown basketball teams...the top league in the state. So...he's "got game" and we want to continue to support his passion. I'm looking for input/opinions on the best areas to consider for competitive sports...or names of leagues to look into, etc. I understand soccer would be different...here they play in fall and spring...in MN I think the season is just summer....so I am hoping there are indoor options in the off-season. If he had to choose...basketball would be tops...he wants to play in an advanced league and have access to camps and training programs.
Thanks! CCRugrat

[Slig]

I don't know about basketball but the largest soccer complex in the country is the National Sports Center in Blaine, MN.

[golfgal]

Eden Prairie has probably the most sucessful overall sports program. Mahtomedi and Apple Valley are perennial soccer powerhouses. Cretin-Derham Hall, a private Catholic high school, has the best baseball program. Basketball is more of a toss up depending on which schools happen to have the outstanding athletes that year.

Soccer is a summer/fall season here but many programs have year round. Almost every town has year round everything these days. There are many, many leagues that would suit you needs. Every town has something and they all have their own name.

[ccrugrat]

Thanks for the responses!! I had honed in on Eden Prarie for soccer through web searches...but web hunting is confusing since it does appear there are multiple soccer organizations and clubs throughout the state. (Looks like a solid community sport! And glad to know there are year-round options.) I read some web discussions about Eden Prarie...concerns about the size of the HS???? I still have a lot of research to do - reading through discussions on this site are VERY helpful. Basketball seems to be elusive unfortunately. Does anyone know of any State competitive basketball league - outside of the schools? I also have been reading a lot of negative sentiments regarding the traffic - trying to commute in the Twin Cities area. How bogged down do the interstates get in the winter? Roads well-maintained?

[Minnehahapolitan]

EPHS is disgustingly large, I think they keep it that way for their football team (but that is just my opinion). The Minn. State High School League should give some information about the various teams. Thats all I can add here, good luck
---Minnehahapolitan

[golfgal]

Originally Posted by ccrugrat

Thanks for the responses!! I had honed in on Eden Prarie for soccer through web searches...but web hunting is confusing since it does appear there are multiple soccer organizations and clubs throughout the state. (Looks like a solid community sport! And glad to know there are year-round options.) I read some web discussions about Eden Prarie...concerns about the size of the HS???? I still have a lot of research to do - reading through discussions on this site are VERY helpful. Basketball seems to be elusive unfortunately. Does anyone know of any State competitive basketball league - outside of the schools? I also have been reading a lot of negative sentiments regarding the traffic - trying to commute in the Twin Cities area. How bogged down do the interstates get in the winter? Roads well-maintained?

There are many competitive basketball programs around the state that are outside of the schools. Pretty much every town has one. Our daughter plays in one in our town. They practice locally and have tournaments throughout the state (mostly in the metro area though). Even our old town in SW MN had a competitive traveling basketball program. Many are run through the town park/rec departments but not all. It will just be a matter of finding a place to live and then giving the basketball coach at your local school a call and they will point you in the right direction.

Eden Prairie is huge and it is not the only great program around either. Sometimes it is to your advantage to participate in a not as good program, maybe the on one that finished 2nd in the conference and have the standout player. They often get more attention that way. We are in the same football conference as Eden Prairie and our team finished at 500 last year yet we finished 3rd in the state tournament. We are in a different section then EP as were some other teams in our conference but 3 of the final 4 teams for our largest football class in the state tournament came from our conference. (EP, Lakeville South and Rosemount).

[moving123456]

Hopkins High School has a good basketball program. They have been accused of recruiting good players from other schools through open enrollment though. The school district covers Hopkins, as well as parts of Golden Valley, Minnetonka, and I believe St. Louis Park.

[doublesuited77]

also remember that if your son wants to play multiple sports, the larger high school tend not to allow it. They want athletes to focus on one sport, year-round.